The 6 Best Soundbars Under $300 - Fall 2024

The best soundbar under $300 we've tested is the Vizio M Series M51ax-J6. It's a versatile soundbar that's great for everything from movies to music to TV shows. Though it sometimes retails a bit above this price point, it's one of the only models we've tested that truly supports Dolby Atmos at this price. Dolby Atmos is an immersive audio format commonly found on streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix, as well as Blu-ray discs. It's designed to bring a cinematic feel to your home audio, using front-firing channels on the bar's satellite speakers to ricochet sound all around you. As a result, it brings a more lifelike feel to your favorite films, and it's a great feature for any movie lover.

This 5.1 setup is also great for listening to many other types of audio content. Right out of the box, it offers a balanced sound, so everything from dialogue in sitcoms to musical instruments is reproduced with clarity. The dedicated subwoofer packs a punch in the bass range, so you'll feel the rumble in more action-heavy scenes. Bass and treble adjustments allow you to switch up the bar's sound to your liking, which is a nice touch. Overall, this bar is a great deal, and its versatile performance makes it suitable for many different types of listeners who don't want to spend as much on a more premium model.

What if you don't watch a lot of Dolby Atmos content? You're in luck—most bars at this price point don't support this audio format, and many are available for a bit less than our top pick. The best we've tested under $300 is the Vizio V Series V51-H6. It's another 5.1 bar, and just like the Vizio M Series M51ax-J6, it comes with two satellite speakers and a subwoofer to enhance your listening experience. This soundbar offers many of the same features as the M Series, including bass and treble adjustments. It's also Bluetooth-compatible.

Overall, this soundbar has great sound quality right out of the box. Dialogue is clearly reproduced, and instruments and vocals are played out with great accuracy. The sub also brings energy to bass-centric genres like EDM and hip-hop. It's suitable for listening to a wide range of audio content, and thanks to its satellites, it shines with surround sound content like Dolby Digital, too. While this format isn't designed to bring the same immersive feel as with Atmos, it's still common on many different streaming platforms, so you can watch lots of movies and blockbuster TV shows to the full effort. The only major difference between these bars is their Atmos support, so if you don't watch a lot of it, the V Series is a more affordable pick.

If you don't have a lot of space for satellite speakers but still want a discrete subwoofer, the Samsung HW-B650 is a great choice. Unlike our top pick, this one doesn't support the object-based surround sound Dolby Atmos format, which is pretty normal for this price range. However, it does support Dolby Digital, which is commonly found on streaming platforms and Blu-rays. It downmixes the 5.1 Dolby Digital format to 3.1, which is less immersive. The dedicated center channel speaker of the 3.1 configuration allows for better vocal and speech separation with dialogue-heavy media and music than most 2.1 soundbars. So, actors in period dramas and moody thrillers will sound intelligible and full, while your favorite singers will come through clearly.

The bar's build quality is good. It's mostly plastic with metal grills covered in thin fabric, and the sub is mainly wood. Sometimes, the price fluctuates, but typically, you can find it within this price range. This soundbar gets loud and has a useful graphic EQ and presets to customize the sound profile. By default, its tuning is fairly neutral, if a little bright. While the graphic EQ helps you tune it for your space, it doesn't have the deepest low-end extension in the bass range. If you want more rumble from your setup, check out the Klipsch Cinema 400, but it's only a 2.1 setup with less clear dialogue.

Do you crave a bassy, thumpy sound? Check out the Klipsch Cinema 400. This soundbar has a dedicated subwoofer that brings out even more punch in the bass range than our top picks, making it a great choice for everything from bass-heavy music genres to action-packed movie scenes. Right out of the box, the bass range has a little extra warmth to ensure you feel your favorite tunes' energy. You can even use its bass adjustment tool to add more punch to the mix.

This 2.1 setup is best suited for listening to stereo content, which includes most music and TV shows. Like the Vizio M Series M215aw-K6, it has to downmix surround sound into stereo to play it back. It doesn't support Dolby Atmos content, either. However, if you don't watch much of it in the first place, you won't find it to be a huge deal. Ultimately, this soundbar is the right choice for those who want to shake the floor with the bass.

No space for a subwoofer? No problem. Standalone soundbars are a great alternative to our top picks, and the best we've tested in this price range is the Samsung HW-S60B. This 5.0 model has a sleek design with many of the manufacturer's premium sound enhancement tools built in and Amazon Alexa voice assistant support for hands-free control. You can adjust the bar's volume from the comfort of your couch, switch preset modes, and more. This bar is also available in white as the Samsung HW-S61B, so you have some options based on your interior design. Prices for this soundbar can jump around and vary between colors, so keep an eye out because it can break the budget.

Thanks to Samsung's SpaceFit Sound room correction tool, the bar's sound is automatically optimized based on the unique acoustic characteristics of your room. With a balanced sound out of the box, this bar is suitable for listening to many different types of audio content, and there's even Dolby Atmos support, though it has to downmix this content into surround sound to play it. Those who prefer manually switching up the bar's sound can access a full 7-band graphic EQ and some EQ presets. Of course, without a dedicated sub, you'll notice much less thump and rumbly bass, especially with genres like EDM and hip-hop. But if you're low on space, it's a great option.

Standalone soundbars are great for smaller living spaces or if you want something for your computer setup. If you're especially space-conscious, you'll want to look at the Bose TV Speaker. At less than 24 inches in width, it's smaller and more compact than the Samsung HW-S60B/S61B. You can set it up under your TV stand or computer monitor to enjoy a clean and clear sound. Despite its small size, the bar gets loud enough to fill your living room with sound.

Of course, this 2.0 setup doesn't bring as impressive a surround sound performance as 5.0 models like the Samsung. It lacks some low bass, too, which is typical for bars without a dedicated subwoofer. While a bass adjustment feature is on hand, this bar doesn't offer as many sound enhancement tools as the similarly performing Sonos Ray, another stellar small soundbar available at a similar price. The Sonos' room correction feature automatically optimizes audio reproduction based on your room's unique acoustics, which is a premium feature for its price. It doesn't reproduce as much bass as the Bose, but it's worth a look if you want more customization tools.